Unbreakable
by xxLucindaxx
Summary: After nearly a month, Hermione Granger is finally found - only she's different - and determined to get away from Draco Malfoy, her keeper. Kingsley would never let Draco investigate what looked like dark magic with the other aurors, so at Harry's request he'd been assigned her bodyguard. And a Malfoy would never break his promise.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: if you don't like dark-fics this might not be the one for you. TRIGGER WARNING: attempted suicide. Seriously. **

**You've been warned. **

**Eventual HEA, because at the end of the day I really am a sucker for a good love story between these two. If I were to continue it beyond this.**

**Leave a review if you want me to continue, or if this will just stay a one-shot.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**DPOV**

When they brought her into my office I hardly recognized her.

She'd been missing for weeks, and Potter had found her a few hours ago. The warding spell that had been guarding her from us was gone, so he'd found her in the middle of the Scottish woods completely beat to shit.

And she hadn't uttered a word. Not even to Potter.

They'd managed to heal the more major injuries, but Potter had told me she'd begun to freak out, so they'd stopped. There was still a long scratch across her cheek, her lip was busted, and one eye was still bruised. She looked thin. Frail.

She looked very unlike the Hermione Granger that had spoken at my trial a few years ago.

"Malfoy's going to make sure you're safe." murmured Potter, gently resting his hand over hers as they both sat on the small couch in my office while I observed them from behind my desk.

She said nothing, didn't even look at him.

It had been decided that Potter would be in charge of tracking down whoever had been keeping her - since she wasn't telling anyone anything - and I would act as her personal body guard. She'd live in my flat until we'd arrested the right guy.

After Potter pressed a kiss to her forehead he stood, turning to me, "I'm trusting you with her life."

"I'm aware, Potter. I think I can manage." I answered evenly, a smirk gracing the corner of my lips.

"If she says anything, _anything _-"

"I'll let you know. Though I wouldn't get your hopes up. If she isn't speaking to you, what makes you think she'll speak to me?"

Potter looked back at her, and she had her arms wrapped around herself as though it were the only thing holding her together.

Maybe it was.

We had no idea what she'd gone through, let alone at whose hands.

The doctors at St. Mungos had said it was trauma. She would start talking again.

She had to, right? She was Hermione Granger.

Unbreakable.

* * *

**HPOV**

_They won't ever find you._

_Unfit for such power. _

_Your friends aren't coming._

_Filthy mudblood. _

_Worthless. _

_Who are you holding out hope for? _

I realized that I was the one screaming. Another nightmare.

How many had that been? Would they ever stop? Am I safe here?

My eyes darted around the dark room, heart almost stopping in my chest as I met a pair of silver eyes.

Malfoy.

Right.

I was in his flat.

I was in his flat screaming my head off disrupting his sleep. It wasn't like he'd asked for this, right? Who wanted to get stuck babysitting -

"Are you alright?"

His voice was deep and smooth and I'd become accustom to it over the week that I'd spent in his home, though I still hadn't spoken.

Different Aurors and doctors came by every day, sometimes more than once a day, asking questions I didn't want to answer - _didn't _answer. Apparently my body was healing normally, it was my mind that was the problem.

_Why can't you just tell us what happened to you? _

It felt like every time I tried to force words out - any words - my throat would tighten, cutting off anything I would've wanted to say.

But maybe that was it, I didn't _have _anything to say.

I mean, what would I say, really? And to Malfoy no less.

Though he'd been nothing short of friendly, all things considered. He spoke to me all the time even though he knew I wouldn't say anything. I didn't know why he did it, but it was nice, just hearing someone's voice who wasn't screaming in -

"Back to the present, Granger."

When had he moved to the edge of the bed?

His hand rested on my leg, the touch oddly comforting as he asked, "Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?"

I moved my gaze from where his hand rested to his face.

Why did he look so worried?

Oh. Right.

He had a crazy woman in his charge.

I nodded, the tiniest of motions, but he noticed, an uncharacteristic smile on his face.

Why was he smiling?

Of course I didn't ask, just watched as he stood and retreated to the kitchen.

Why were words so impossible?

* * *

**DPOV **

Who would've thought I'd be excited that _Granger nodded_?

Though considering she'd barely acknowledged anything over the past week, I was going to take it as a win.

Just as the kettle went off I heard her soft footsteps against the hardwood floor, and when I turned she was sitting on the couch, fireplace blazing as she stared into it.

I set the mug on the table in front of her, waiting to see what she would do.

Unsurprisingly, she didn't look at me, her eyes sliding from the fireplace to the mug of tea. Sometimes I wondered how lost she really got in her thoughts. What had happened that made her like this?

When it was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything - though why I'd thought she would I had no idea - I went to leave, but her arm shot out, grabbing my wrist before I could go.

Granger had _never _touched me. Never wanted me to stay.

Because that was what she wanted. I knew she wouldn't say it, but the way her fingers were clenched around my wrist made it more than obvious, and without giving it a second thought I sat down next to her, using my wand to bring myself a mug of tea as well.

I had no idea what was going on inside her head, but I was hopeful that this was progress. She'd obviously been tortured, so how much could we really expect of her right now? It was a bloody miracle that she was coherent at all after being subjected to Salazar-only-knows how many Unforgivables - especially after having been Crucio'd before during the war.

I'd never forget that night. Ever.

I'd had nightmares about her screams for almost a full year after the war had ended.

"Potter said he's coming by to see you tomorrow." I said, and though she didn't say anything, she did look at me for a moment, an expression I couldn't quite place in her eyes before she looked away.

A few moments later she sat her mug down and stood to leave the room, but before she rounded the corner she gave me one last glance.

And then she was gone.

* * *

**HPOV **

There were voices outside. Three _male _voices.

I could make out Malfoy and Harry, but I didn't recognize the third.

_"She's making progress. You can't just -"_

_"Because she nodded? We need **answers**_ _and we need them **now**. She's still in danger as long as they're out there."_

There was the sound of something crashing and then Harry was yelling.

_"You think we don't know that? She's my **best friend**_."

It didn't matter if they knew, really. They'd just get themselves hurt - or killed. They had no idea what -

"Granger?"

I sat up in bed, surprised by how soft Malfoy's voice sounded.

"Potter's here."

Why? Couldn't he just leave this alone? For his own safety and all the other Aurors working this stupid case with him. Malfoy was already risking enough just by having me here.

A few seconds later Harry was stepping through the door and sitting on my bed. His hand covered mine and _Merlin_ he looked bad.

Worried.

Tired.

_Scared_.

Gods, I wasn't worth any of this.

I wanted to open my mouth to _say _that, but the familiar sensation of my throat closing up was overwhelming.

"I'm so sorry, Mione."

I looked away. _Had _to look away.

Why was he apologizing to me? I was the sorry one.

"Malfoy said you're making good progress." he said, changing topics.

Why couldn't he just _leave_? He cared too much for his own good. I was liable to get him, and everyone involved in this shite, _killed_.

"Please say something." he begged, eyes glassy as he squeezed my hand.

And that was it. I started sobbing. Ugly, uncontrollable, gasping sobs that wracked my body and stole my breath. _And of course _Harry just held me. A rock, like always.

But that just made me cry harder.

"Everything's going to be okay, Mione." he murmured.

I couldn't do this. The room was only getting smaller and it felt like the amount of oxygen was going with it.

I pulled away from him, pushing myself from the bed on wobbly legs.

I hadn't felt normal since Harry'd found me.

"Hermione, please -"

"_Don't_," I gasped, forcing my hands out to keep him away as I banged into the wall behind me, a picture frame falling to the floor and shattering at my feet.

The door burst open in seconds, Malfoy's wand firmly gripped in his hand.

"Everything's fine." said Harry, his eyes still on me.

_Still on me_.

This was all wrong.

Harry was looking at me like his heart was breaking and _gods why couldn't he just go?_

"You need to try to slow your breathing, Granger."

_Malfoy. _

_How? _

I wanted to scream at him.

But I couldn't.

How I'd even managed to force that one word past my lips was a mystery.

My vision was starting to darken at the edges, but the tears wouldn't stop.

All of this was my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid -

My knees gave out, my bum hitting the carpeted bedroom floor with a thud.

"Breathe with me, Granger."

Malfoy's voice was directly in front of me now. When had he moved? Why was he so close?

Looking past him I could see Harry, eyes glassy and worried as he watched me with clenched fists.

Malfoy took my hand, pulling my eyes back to his as he pressed my palm against his chest, his fingers wrapped around my wrist. His other hand pulled my face up from where I'd been staring at our hands, to his face.

"Breathe with me." he said again, his voice strong and reassuring.

Odd.

I could feel the steady thrumming of his heartbeat under my fingertips and wondered how erratic mine must sound in comparison. Everything about me was a mess. I got lost in my mind for _hours -_ Merlin, how was I ever going to have a normal life after this?

I gasped at the sudden stinging at my scalp, barely registering that Malfoy had my hair fisted in his hand before he was speaking.

"Be present and breathe." he said firmly, his silver eyes holding mine.

_Be present_.

How? My mind, the one thing that had defined me from the very beginning, was _failing me_.

* * *

**DPOV**

I was unsurprised that Potter froze up, but he seemed utterly disgusted with himself.

So much so, that after Granger had _finally _fallen asleep, he walked into _my_ living room, opened _my _firewhiskey, and poured himself a glass.

"How could I not know what to do?" he muttered again, dragging a hand over his face.

"It's not your fault no ones ever had a panic attack in front of you."

My mother had plenty.

He was silent for a while, draining his glass before he spoke again.

"She spoke...barely, but -"

"That idiot isn't going to convince anyone in the Janus Thickey Ward that Granger needs to be committed." I snorted, interrupting his incessant _whining_.

"Do you think Lance was right?" he asked quietly, his eyes on the fireplace, though it wasn't lit, "Do you think she's protecting whoever did this to her?"

Unlikely.

"If anything it's _you _she's protecting. Have any of you idiots ever thought that the reason she isn't saying anything is because _whoever _did that to her could do the same to _you_?"

Potter's eyes widened, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Of course he hadn't thought of that. Granger had only spent their entire childhood saving his arse.

Before he could continue leading this pointless conversation in circles, I was speaking again.

"Did you and Blaise find anything in the woods?"

He shook his head, lips a hard line, "No. We have no idea how she got there. Whether someone just dumped her there, or if she managed to escape. We don't know fucking _anything_, Malfoy."

"Maybe you should take her to yours."

Potter arched an eyebrow in my direction, "Pardon?"

"She's obviously more comfortable with -"

"_You _managed to calm her down, Malfoy. No matter how much that pains me to say."

There's no animosity in his tone, never really was after my trial.

"That doesn't -"

"She's better off here. Besides, Shackelbot doesn't like you very much anyway."

"Git." I muttered, standing from the couch, "I'm going to bed, Potter. So sod off."

He just laughed, and before I made it around the corner there was the sound of floo powder hitting the fireplace.

I had intended to go straight to my room, but I couldn't help poking my head into her room.

She wasn't in bed.

* * *

**HPOV**

_Spinning, spinning, spinning..._

The bathroom tiles were cold. And wet.

No, _I _was wet.

_Is that my blood?_

Right. I was trying to leave.

It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. I tried to force myself to stand, but the tiles really weren't _that _cold.

_Crack!_

Suddenly everything was happening very, very quickly.

The bathroom door was forced open, slamming into the wall under the force, and then Malfoy was cursing and yelling and _right there_.

My brain couldn't keep up with what he was saying, but his cheeks were flushed pink and his hair a mess - and then he was crouched in front of me with his wand.

_Oh. No. _

Where the strength came from I had no idea, maybe desperation? But I grabbed the end of his wand, using his resistance to my advantage, applying a bit of pressure and -

_Crack. _

He was cursing again, even though it seemed like he'd healed some of the cuts on my arms.

All of a sudden his hands were on my face, his eyes holding mine, and I tried to focus on his words, but everything sounded like I was underwater.

"...fucking idiot...why...break my wand..."

He was _so angry_.

Suddenly he was hoisting me up into his arms and then I was in my bed -

No, not my bed. It smelled too much like him.

I heard his footsteps quickly leave the room, and I was curious about where he went, but I was tired, my eyes closing on their own.

* * *

**DPOV**

"She would never have -"

"I told you what I saw." I snapped, my grip on the glass of fire whiskey in my hand a _bit _tighter than necessary.

"There's no way that she actually wants to die. I refuse to believe that." argued Potter, using a scourgify to remove a few drops of blood from his shirt.

I had gotten Potter through the floo, and he'd used his wand to make sure Granger would be okay, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been...perturbed by the situation.

"What are you saying?" I asked, trying to force the memory of all her blood from my mind. It was just like that night with Bellatrix...but she'd done it to herself.

"It's her trying to be logical. She probably thinks that if she's dead the danger to us will be gone."

"She's _your _bloody best mate, Potter. _You _handle shite like this, not me. She tried to fucking _kill herself _in my bathroom. I don't -"

"Do you think she should be at St. Mungos?" he interrupted, the despair clearly written on his face.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to think. Granger certainly didn't strike me as the type to kill herself because _she _was struggling, and Potter was basically saying the same thing. So clearly she thought that her death would end the danger.

But that didn't exactly make sense, because she had to know that we would continue looking for whoever did this, even if it was just so Potter could somehow avenge her death - which didn't really lessen the danger at all.

"What if she heard Lance this morning?"

Potter raised an eyebrow, clearly not following.

_Shocking. _

"What if she heard Lance talking about the Janus Thickey Ward?"

Realization seemed to dawn on his face as he asked, "Do you think she's trying to get sent there? But why?"

I shrugged, unsure. I hadn't gotten that far - and honestly doubted I'd get any farther unless Granger started explaining.

Which she didn't seem prone to do for the time being.

Potter glanced at his watch and groaned, standing as he said, "I should go. I'll check back tomorrow after work, unless something happens before then."

I simply nodded, only halfway hearing him. I was trying to figure out what advantage she would get from being committed to the Janus Thickey Ward.

After coming up with _nothing _I grabbed a pillow and blanket from the hallway closet, dropping them onto the couch before checking on Granger in my room. She was still a bit pale, but her breathing was steady. I left the door cracked, settling into the couch. I could've stayed in 'her' room, but I'd hear her better from here if anything happened.

* * *

**HPOV**

Malfoy had replaced his wand.

Also, his wards were _very _good. There was no way for me to leave, which I assumed was the point.

But he didn't get it. The longer I stayed here, the more dangerous it got. Not just for Malfoy, but for all of them. I'd hoped after my little bathroom display, that they'd give up, let them take me the Janus Thickey Ward, and from there I'd be able to sneak out. There was no way they were paying as much attention as Malfoy.

I just needed to -

"Why are you trying to get committed?"

I looked across the table at Malfoy, who seemed like he'd been watching me for a while, the food on his plate long gone, while mine looked mostly untouched.

_How long had I been lost in my thoughts?_

"For fuck's sake, Granger, what the bloody hell is going on in that head of yours?" he snapped, his eyes glaring daggers at me.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that he'd figured out my goal - he'd always been bright - but he had no idea _why_. Which was good. Great, even.

I picked up my fork, picking at my eggs in lieu of answering him. I hadn't even _tried _to speak since that day with Harry, so who knew if I even could.

"We can help you. _I _can help you." he said, his voice softer, but no less rough.

How could Malfoy help me?

Not that I wanted him to, anyway. He was doing well for himself, all things considered. After the war he'd worked so hard to pull the Malfoy name out of the mud, and though there were still people that hated him, he'd managed to become a well respected Auror in almost the same amount of time as Harry. So there was no way I was dragging him into this hell.

"I know you think you're protecting Potter, but what do you think he'd do if you died? If you _killed yourself? _Do you honestly think he'd ever be able to forgive himself?"

"Not just him." I whispered, my voice hoarse from no use, but by Malfoy's surprised look, I could assume he'd heard me. "Everyone."

"What's not just him?" he asked, and when I just shook my head he continued, "You're not just protecting Potter, you're protecting everyone?"

I glanced up at him, and my breath caught in my throat at the intense look in his eyes. I managed a small nod, my eyes dropping back to my plate.

"Why won't you tell us who it is?"

When I said nothing he sighed, leaning back in his chair before changing topics, "Why did you escape, then?"

I'd wanted to escape, not necessarily to be found.

"Please, Granger. Talk to me."

My eyes shot back to his, surprised by the gentle tone.

And at the fact that I _did _want to talk to him. I didn't know if it was because he had a demented past or because I didn't really know him or simply because my mind had finally fully fractured - but it was true either way.

I closed my eyes, trying to force the words back down.

"I...can't."

* * *

**DPOV**

"You know you can tell me anything, Mione."

I bit back a snort as I watched Potter try to convince her to talk to him about what had happened.

He was failing _grandly_.

I also had to admit that I felt a bit smug that she'd spoken to me and not him, no matter how childish the thought was.

And how useless, considering she hadn't really _said _much of anything.

She just shook her head, taking another sip of her tea.

Potter looked like he was about to explode, but before he could, a patronus from some Auror whose name I couldn't remember was standing in front of him saying that they thought they might have found something.

I glanced at Granger, whose shoulders were tense and her grip on her mug had her knuckles going white.

Once the patronus disappeared she finally spoke.

"Please don't go."

Her voice was still hoarse and fairly quiet, but Potter heard her just fine.

"You know I have to." he said, his hand squeezing hers, "Whoever did this to you isn't going to get away with it, whether you help us or not."

She closed her eyes, releasing a breath before meeting his eyes again, "I'll tell you who it was if you let me go."

"Absolutely not." I interrupted, glaring at her. It was way too dangerous.

"Malfoy's right." he said slowly, "Besides, I know you well enough to know that you'd never give us the real person." he said with a small smile.

He left through the floo shortly after.

Granger and I sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up.

"You're all going to get yourselves killed...you have no idea what's really happening."

"So tell me."

She shook her head, staring into her mug as though it held all the answers she was looking for.

"What if I didn't tell Potter?"

At that, her eyes shot to mine, "You're lying."

"I'm not."

She studied my face for a moment, her eyes scrutinizing in a way I hadn't experienced from her since Hogwarts.

"They...they wanted my magic."

"What?" I asked immediately, "Why? For what?"

She cleared her throat, taking another sip of tea before she began talking again, "Very old, very powerful, very _dark_ magic."

"Why'd they choose you?"

She snorted, "Ironic, right? That they needed a mudblood's magic."

I couldn't help but cringe at the word, which _of course _she noticed.

"You're different now."

The way she said it was so matter of fact that I was caught off guard. So much so that she continued speaking.

"I don't mean it badly...I...wanted to thank you."

_Thank me? _

"What the bloody hell for?"

* * *

**HPOV**

What for? He'd practically been keeping me alive for the past few weeks.

"Being so...hospitable." I finished lamely.

Though he seemed to know what I meant.

"I owe you more than that."

I shook my head, looking away from him.

Malfoy didn't owe me anything, especially not after the danger I was putting him in just by _telling _him about this.

"You know there was nothing to forgive, right?"

He looked shocked, but managed to say, "Even if you were willing to overlook the fact that I watched your torture, there's still everything I ever said to you."

I just shrugged, "We were children."

And it was true. How could I have expected him to be different? He was _raised _with his ideals, Voldemort _stayed in their home— _what was he supposed to think - _do_?

Besides, none of it mattered now anyway.

He shook his head, looking away from me as he said, "Gryffindor through and through."

We were silent for a while before he spoke again.

"What was your plan if you got to the Ward?"

"Leave." I answered easily, "Disappear."

He arched an eyebrow, "What? Why?"

I sighed, my throat sore from lack of use, but I knew I had to tell him.

"They'll go wherever I go. Wherever I am, people are in danger."

"Potter would never stop looking." he argued, eyes narrowed as he looked at me.

I knew that.

I also knew _them. _

"That's why I'm getting as far from here as possible. They'll follow...besides, they're good at not being found."

They'd kept me hidden for almost a month, from the _best _aurors in England.

"I'm not letting you do that."

I snorted, standing to put my mug in the sink.

"I don't need your permission to plan an escape, Malfoy. That's why it's an _escape_."

"So you're just going to live the rest of your life in hiding?" he snapped, glaring at me.

"Don't be daft." I said with an eye roll, "I'm going to figure out how to stop them."

I just needed _time _and _space_ to figure it out, because I knew I could.

He was quiet, staring into the fireplace instead of looking at me.

I headed toward my bedroom, but before I made it out of the living room, his voice stopped me.

"So let me come with you."

* * *

**DPOV**

If Granger was as determined as I thought, there was no way I was convincing her otherwise.

This was the next best thing. Potter — and _everyone— _were counting on me to keep her safe. This might be the only way I was going to be able to keep my promise to Potter.

"What?"

"Let me come with you, Granger."

She shook her head slowly, seemingly more confused than actually rejecting my offer.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you're going to get yourself killed. You can't do this alone."

She shook her head, saying nothing as she retreated to her bedroom.

Bloody Gryffindor.

I double checked my wards, going so far as to place one on her room, and when I was satisfied I retreated to my own room.

There was no way I was risking her escaping after what she'd said. She was likely to get herself killed trying to go at this alone.

_Brightest witch of our age my arse. _

I laid down, staring at the ceiling for a while before there was a soft knock on my bedroom door.

I shifted onto my forearms, lifting myself up enough to see the door as I said, "You can come in."

Granger pushed open the door, but simply stood in the doorway awkwardly, her eyes flicking around the room.

I suppose she hadn't really had time to look around the last time she was in here.

"I don't trust you." she finally said, her eyes meeting mine, "I don't even trust that you won't tell Harry." she continued, shooting me a glare when I tried to interrupt her.

"So I want a blood pact, Malfoy. I need to be sure that -"

"Deal." I interrupted easily, swinging my legs from the bed and picking up my wand.

"What?" she stuttered, clearly surprised, "Why are you so quick to agree?"

"This is the last time I'm going to say this, so listen carefully. I'm not letting you do this on your own, and I'm not going to rat you out in the process. If you need a blood pact to believe that, it doesn't really put me out."

"But my blood -"

"Don't," I snapped, "Don't you dare."

She looked away from me as her cheeks heated in embarrassment, "You're right. I apologize."

"I do want something in return."

She arched an eyebrow, "What?"

"You have to make an oath that you won't just ditch me."

She seemed to study me for a moment, her eyes piercing as she seemed to weigh her options.

Taking a breath she nodded, walking to stand in front of where I sat on my bed, close enough that if I reached out I could've brushed her hair from her face.

I held my wand out to her, and though her eyes widened for a moment she covered it quickly as she accepted it.

She slid the wand against her palm, murmuring under her breath as a crimson streak bloomed across her hand. She did the same to mine before pausing, looking between the two of our hands, a small crease between her brows as her mind clearly mulled something over.

Without thinking about it I took her hand in mine, pressing our palms together.

After a shocked moment of pause she said, "I swear I will not leave you while...while we figure this out."

I nodded, satisfied, before doing my part.

"I swear to keep your secret and help you stop them. I swear I will protect you."

Her breath caught in her throat at the last bit, eyes wide as she watched a glowing droplet of blood - _our blood _\- float between us and become encased in a small vial.

Unbreakable.

"You shouldn't have..." she shook her head, "I'm not your responsibility. You shouldn't have -"

"What's done is done." I interrupted, taking my wand and flipping her hand over to heal her cut before my own.

I dropped her hand, expecting her to step back, but she didn't. She was looking down at me, her eyes clouded with an emotion I couldn't place as she lifted her recently healed hand, her fingertips close enough to my cheek that I could feel her heat - but she didn't touch me.

Why did I want her to?

* * *

**HPOV**

I snapped out of it, quickly dropping my hand and stepping away from him.

I might have murmured an apology, but I couldn't be sure, my feet quickly carrying me back to my room.

Once inside I leaned back against the door, slowly sliding down it as I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

_Why was Malfoy doing this?_

He probably did feel responsible for me. It was quite literally his job at the moment.

But a _blood pact_? And he'd agreed so willingly.

And now I'd practically _bound _myself to him. If anything happened to him -

I shook my head, forcing myself to stop that train of thought. Malfoy was just as capable as Harry. If I'd gotten the better of them once, managed to get away, then surely he'd be able to hold his own...right?

I groaned, my head dropping into my hands before looking down at my palm.

I long, slightly pink scar was all that remained. The single reminder of what we'd just done.

_Great. _

I'm quite literally going to wear a reminder of this when it inevitably ends horribly and -

I dug my nails into the hardwood floor, the pain forcing my thoughts to stop spiraling. I needed to get a fucking grip if any of this was going to work.

Though it seemed that when it came to my mind, it was quite the ask.

I was constantly losing myself in my thoughts, my nightmares were worse, and it seemed more and more like I was losing my grip.

There wasn't anything more terrifying.

And then there was Malfoy. He was so different.

Though of course, by now, I knew that.

It didn't do anything to lessen the shock at his oath to me. To _protect _me.

So not only had _I _bound us together for this train wreck, _he'd _sworn to protect me. Gods, this was a mess.

And for the first time, I didn't have a plan. I had no idea how to get any of the things I'd need - a wand being the most important - let alone the books I'd need to take to wherever we ended up halfway across the globe.

And I had no idea how to talk to Malfoy after the strange exchange in his bedroom. Why in _Morgana's name _had I almost _caressed Malfoy's cheek_?

I was surely losing my mind completely. He was just so -

_Attractive_, supplied my treacherous mind before I could silence the thought. This was _no time _to be thinking of him - or _anyone _\- that way. Not with the danger hanging over us.

This was all such a terrible idea, but I couldn't help feeling slightly relieved that I wouldn't have to do this alone.

* * *

**Let me know if I should continue or leave it like this. I've got a bit of a second chapter written up, but I won't mind leaving this a one-shot. **


	2. Chapter 2

**So all the comments I read seem to want me to continue this, so here we go lol.**

**I'm not foreseeing this being a super extended story, but who knows lol. I'd also love to hear what some of your guys' ideas are for who captured Hermione and why they wanted/ needed her magic.  
**

**Reviews keep me motivated, so keep them coming! Enjoy guys! **

* * *

**DPOV **

"We can use the Malfoy family library. It's got pretty much every book on dark magic there is."

She raised a slightly skeptical eyebrow and said, "Seems odd that the Ministry would let you keep those after the war."

I couldn't stop the smirk from creeping onto my face as I said, "I'm keeping your secret, Granger, I expect you can keep mine as well."

A small smile graced her lips – a rare thing these days – as she nodded, "That solves one problem."

"There are more?"

"I need a wand."

I arched an eyebrow at her, "What happened to yours?"

"They broke it as soon as they caught me." she grimaced, though it quickly morphed into a slightly wicked smile as she said, "I guess they didn't think I was very adept at wandless magic."

"Is that how you managed to get away?" I asked, not bothering to hide my curiosity. After the one night we'd talked about it she'd been completely mum on the topic.

She nodded slowly, her eyes studying me, "Yes."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I said, "You're going to have to tell me what happened eventually, Granger."

"When we get away from here." was all she said, pushing her chair away from the table to stand.

_Stubborn witch. _

"Fine, but then I want to know everything. No secrets, Granger."

She said nothing, her gaze holding mine. It was like a silent battle of wills, and I refused to look away first.

"I can't promise that." she finally said, closing her eyes briefly.

"This isn't up for discussion, Granger." I snapped, standing up as well.

If I was going to be able to help her – _protect her _– she needed to be honest with me. Fuck the bloody _danger_.

This was my job.

When she said nothing I felt my grip on my temper failing, fuse burning dangerously short.

"How the fuck do you expect me to do my _job _if you don't tell me the fucking truth?" I snapped, my voice getting louder, "I gave you a blood pact for fuck's sake. What more do you want from me? My bloody arm?"

Her eyes were trained firmly on the floor, her voice soft as she finally spoke up, "You don't understand how much danger you're already in. I can't –"

She stopped herself, shaking her head as she took a deep breath.

"This is my job. It's always going to be dangerous."

"Not like this…they're _evil_. They're evil and I'm _scared_. Genuinely scared in a way I haven't been since the war. I can hardly stomach that I involved you in this shite at all."

"Why are you so concerned about me?" I asked, actually curious about her answer.

She rolled her eyes, attempting to leave the dining room, but I caught her arm, stopping her.

"Granger, you can't just –"

"You've worked hard, okay!" she shouted, her own temper flaring and _fuck _why was she _sexy _like this?

"You built your name back up from the ground and now you're risking everything by helping me. Don't you realize how idiotic that is?"

I shook my head, taking a step closer to her, "You're Hermione Granger, a bloody war heroine and –"

"And the brightest witch of her age. _I know that_." she snapped, but didn't back away from me. "And it means absolutely _nothing _if innocent people end up dead. All these stupid titles I've been given don't make my life any more important than yours, or anyone else's."

* * *

**HPOV**

I felt like I was drowning. Words rushing from my lips and stealing my breath, but I just couldn't stop.

"Especially not with how fractured my mind is. Who knows if I'll ever get my shite together again. And what if I don't? What if I'm always getting lost in my thoughts and spacing out and –"

"Then you'd still be worth every bit of effort." he said, his tone softer than it had been moments before, and it certainly caught me off guard.

I didn't know what to say, instead choosing to look away from him.

I heard him sigh before he said, "I'll get you a wand that'll do for now, and I'll collect all the books on dark magic that we have."

Without waiting for a response he left the dining room, and a few seconds later I heard the floo roar to life.

Gods, this just kept getting more and more complicated. I wasn't sure if he actually cared or if he was just doing it because it was his job, but it shouldn't matter either way. Whatever _feelings _were popping up for him were completely one-sided.

Malfoy was bright, attractive, and mentally sound - what would he possibly want with me?

Suddenly the grandfather clock in the living room was going off, startling me into realizing I'd been staring off into space for the better part of an hour.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the frequency with which these little episodes seemed to come in lately.

It only seemed to make it worse when I did.

I forced myself to move to the living room, flipping on the television in an effort to occupy my mind.

It wasn't long before the floo lit up, but instead of Malfoy, it was Harry.

Had he always been able to access Malfoy's floo?

"Hey, Mione. How are you?" he asked tentatively.

He was obviously nervous and unsure, and it only made me feel worse. Harry was supposed to be my best friend, and he was _uncomfortable _around me - and it was entirely my fault that he felt that way.

"I'm fine, Harry." I said, standing to give him a hug.

He seemed to relax a little, his shoulders less tense than when he'd first come through the floo. It was as if he expected that one day I'd just stop talking again.

Though I couldn't really blame him. I'd been - _and still was _\- a right mess.

"Where's Malfoy?" he asked, joining me on the couch.

I shrugged, "He isn't really obligated to tell me anything."

He was silent for a moment, and it was obvious to me that he was debating something in his mind. He always got a particular wrinkle on his forehead when he did so, and it was a dead giveaway.

"Who are they, Mione?"

I sighed, unsurprised at his question. It was his job after all.

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Won't," I admitted, "So you should really stop asking."

He opened his mouth, no doubt to argue with me, but before he could the floo lit up, green dust spilling onto the rug in front of the fireplace as Malfoy tumbled through.

"Potter," he said, inclining his head slightly in greeting as he walked towards the hallway, no doubt to stash the items he'd acquired, "Always a pleasure, you flooing unannounced into my home."

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Harry, but he ignored it, rolling his eyes as he said, "I came because I have news."

I raised an eyebrow, annoyed that he'd only spoken up about _news _when Malfoy had gotten here.

Malfoy said something that neither of us caught, his voice muffled as he disappeared into his bedroom.

"Why didn't you say so?" I asked, turning my attention to Harry.

He sighed, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose, "I don't know. I suppose I don't feel right involving you in this after what they did to you."

"Why can't you just listen to me?" I snapped, "When have I ever been wrong?"

A small smile touched the corners of his lips as he said, "Never...but that doesn't change anything. This is my job, and you're my best friend. I can't just...I can't just ignore this."

"Can't or won't" I asked, repeated his question from earlier.

"Won't." he admitted, as I knew he would. He was Harry Potter, always trying to save someone.

"So what's the news?" asked Malfoy, halting whatever further conversation would've happened between Harry and I.

It seemed as though Malfoy assumed the conversation would be unpleasant, because three glasses of whiskey floated behind him, one settling in front of me, the other two in front of them.

Malfoy took a seat in the recliner opposite us, glancing at me for a moment before returning his attention to Harry.

"We found where they were keeping you, Mione."

* * *

**DPOV**

Her face remained mostly impassive, though I did notice the slight tightening in her jaw.

It was clear that she wasn't going to say anything, so I stepped in.

"Where?"

"Galloway Forest."

I raised an eyebrow, "That forest is almost 500 kilometers of -"

"How many people are on this case, Harry?" she interrupted, her grip on her glass slightly worrying.

He shrugged, looking away from her as he continued, "No one's gone in yet."

"Good." she snapped, her cheeks splotchy and red with anger.

"Obviously it's not going to stay that way." said Potter, narrowing his eyes slightly, "I came to ask if you remembered anything."

Granger said nothing, her jaw tight and shoulders tense, her eyes focused on the coffee table.

"Damn it, Hermione!" he shouted, and I had to force myself to remain silent. It wouldn't do for Potter to be suspicious about Granger and I.

"If there are traps, I need to know. People could die if -"

Suddenly there was the very clear sound of glass breaking.

_Holy shit, Granger shattered her glass. _

"People _will _die!" she snapped, apparently ignoring or unaware of her bleeding hand.

"If you think they left that building standing on accident, you're wrong. If it's not _burned to the ground_, they want you to find it."

"Your hand -"

She ignored him, her voice steadily rising as she went on, "And if they want you to find it, you're bloody dead! Are you really willing to risk these people's lives?"

If she was right, she had a point. This was toeing a thin line between a personal vendetta and what was actually expected of Aurors. I couldn't imagine Potter being willing to risk anyone's life, especially based on Granger's word.

"_What's in there?_" he asked through clenched teeth, standing from the couch.

"You -"

"Give me your hand, Granger." I said with a sigh, rising from the recliner to heal her hand - and end this discussion. It was clear that she wasn't willing to tell him anything, so it was better to just attempt to change the topic.

She said nothing while I healed her hand, her eyes focused on me – as were Potter's.

When I dropped her hand and returned to my seat Potter audibly sighed, raking a hand through his hair before standing.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me." he said, squeezing her shoulder before stepping through the floo.

Before I could say anything, Granger was speaking.

"Thank you for healing my hand…and changing the topic."

I shrugged, "Didn't seem to be going anywhere."

She shook her head, staring at the now muted TV – that I'd only acquired for _her_– as she spoke, "He just doesn't understand…they've burned down every house we stayed at. If they left that one, there's a reason."

"What kind of reason?"

"Nothing good." she said, standing from the couch, "We need to hurry. It'll take Harry a few days to get Kingsley's approval to raid the house, so it should buy us some time."

"I took everything that looked even remotely like it was about dark magic, so hopefully whatever you're looking for is in one of those books."

A small smile graced her face as she said, "Hopefully whatever _we're _looking for is in those books."

I was a bit surprised at her sudden change in attitude about the whole thing, but wasn't about to question it. Especially if it worked in my favor.

I stood, retrieving the shrunken books and the wand I'd gotten her, setting the books on the table in front of her.

She raised an eyebrow, sitting back down and looking through them.

"I still can't believe you have all these." she murmured, flipping through one.

"We'll have plenty of time for reading later, Granger." I said, pulling the wand from my robes.

"You actually managed to get me one?" she asked, eyes wide.

I nodded, handing the wand over to her, but instead of taking it she threw herself at me, her arms winding around my neck.

_Holy shit, Granger was bloody hugging me. _

It took less time than I'd like to admit for me to wrap the arm that wasn't holding her new wand around her waist, tentatively hugging her back.

She smelled of my shampoo, green tea, and something distinctly Granger that I just couldn't place. Her body was soft and warm and _bloody hell _I needed to stop that train of thought immediately. The last thing Granger needed was me trying to fuck her, particularly after our history.

Though it seemed like she was comfortable enough here…with me.

"Thank you, Malfoy." she said softly, her voice slightly muffled against my neck, but who could worry about that when she was _so bloody close_?

I simply grunted in response, not trusting my voice to not be rough.

She seemed to realize what she was doing, because she pulled away, a lovely blush staining her cheeks as she stumbled through an apology.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. I don't know what came over - "

"Don't worry about it." I interrupted, "It's no big deal."

Except it was. It _really _was, because I had no idea what strange feelings I had brewing for the witch in front of me.

And whatever those feelings were, _certainly _shouldn't be happening, let alone _now _of all times.

She nodded slowly, accepting the wand from me and turning it over in her hands.

"Well come on, Granger, try it out."

She smiled, a _real _smile, as she cast a spell, the stack of books levitating from the table before gently floating back down.

"It's perfect." she said, looking to me again, "How did you -"

"Oh no, some secrets I'll be keeping to myself." I said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't actually seem bothered.

Whatever weird truce we seemed to have reached was certainly going to take some getting used to.

* * *

**HPOV**

We were leaving today.

I couldn't really wrap my head around it yet, but it was happening. Malfoy and I were going to one of his heavily warded family homes in Wiltshire, and from there we'd figure out what to do.

I'd skimmed through a few of the books he'd gotten from his family's library, and it seemed promising.

But maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.

It was almost 4am, so we were leaving soon. The few belongings I had at Malfoy's were packed away, shrunken down to fit comfortably in my pocket. My new wand was tucked into my back pocket and I'd _triple _checked that Malfoy had packed all the books.

I pushed open my bedroom door, heading into the kitchen to gulp down a cup of tea before we left.

A few minutes later I heard glass clanking, and entered the dining room to find Malfoy rummaging through his alcohol cabinet.

"One for the road?"

He chuckled, the sound strangely pleasing, before he said, "With the work ahead of us, it seemed like a good idea."

He seemed to find one he liked, turning to face me with a triumphant smile on his face.

"A Malfoy vintage." he said, shrinking it down and tucking it into his robe. "It's sure to come in handy."

I rolled my eyes but was unable to keep the smile off my face, choosing instead to hide it behind my mug, taking a sip of the scalding liquid.

"You're ready, then?" he asked, walking towards the doorway - and me.

I nodded, stepping backwards through the doorway to keep some distance between us, "I just need to rinse this out."

Without waiting for a response I turned and re-entered the kitchen, dumping my practically full cup before giving it a quick rinse.

I had no idea what was going on, but somehow the thought of being close to Malfoy was..._sinful_. It was practically impossible to keep my mind from wandering to thoughts of him, particularly when I was trying to keep myself from thinking about the task we had ahead of us.

He was fit and clearly knew it, and my treacherous mind seemed ready to produce a litany of inappropriate images at a moments notice.

Having imagined his mouth on my body made it a bit difficult to be in such close proximity.

_Merlin, I was a mess. _

Shaking my head I entered to the living room to find Malfoy waiting at the fireplace.

"Off we go, then." he said, offering his arm to me as he grabbed a handful of floo powder.

With a deep breath I stepped forward, hooking my arm through his and following him through the floo.

* * *

**DPOV**

"You're honestly telling me you can't cook?"

Her cheeks wore a pretty blush as she shook her head, refusing to meet my gaze.

"You lived alone, didn't you? How did you manage to keep yourself alive, Granger?" I asked, unable to keep the growing smirk off my face. It was quite amusing to imagine Granger not knowing how to do something - particularly something as muggle as _cooking_.

"I ordered takeout a lot, or just heated frozen meals. I - Malfoy stop looking at me like that!"

Her cheeks only became redder, the blush spreading down her neck to cover the tops of her breasts -

_Fuck, why was I looking at her breasts? _

"Well you're going to have to learn, because I'm not about to do all the cooking, and we can't exactly ring for takeout here."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she said, "Oh, I guess that's true. You've _been _doing all the cooking, haven't you?"

By the look on her face it seemed like she was trying to recall the food I'd fed her, but was coming up short. I knew that she was worried about her mind and it's..._accuracy_. But I had faith. She was Hermione bloody Granger, for fuck's sake.

"Come on." I said, not waiting for her as I entered the kitchen.

"What are we making?" she asked, leaning against her arms on the counter, watching as I pulled various things from cabinets.

"My favorite." I said with a smirk, shooting her a wink.

She rolled her eyes, "Of course the first thing you'd teach me would be _your _favorite food."

"I should be getting something out of teaching you a life skill, Granger." I snorted, "This is the least you could do for my trouble."

_Was I actually joking around with her right now?_

"Oh, how silly of me." she said, dramatically throwing an arm across her forehead, "I'm forever in your debt for this kind deed. Please take my humble offerings, they are all I can afford."

I couldn't stop the abrupt chuckle that burst from my mouth, completely caught off guard by this side of her. Even before she'd been captured, I'd never seen her _joke around_. It seemed so odd, yet she did it so easily.

Hell, she was _funny_.

"Nice to see you're capable of laugher, Malfoy." she said sarcastically, returning to her previous position of leaning against the counter.

"I could say the same for you. Who knew the Gryffindor Princess had a good sense of humor?"

She simply shrugged, "So what's your favorite food? Caviar? Something covered in gold? A rare clam from off the coast of -"

"Shepards Pie, actually." I interrupted, slightly smug at her embarrassed expression.

"It wasn't always." I admitted, "But directly after the war I was hiding out in some little hole-in-the-wall inn, and this little old muggle lady _kept _insisting I try her Shepards Pie. Greatest decision of my life."

She laughed, the sound less annoying than I recalled from our days at Hogwarts.

Though she hadn't really been annoying for years now, if I were honest.

"Alright, Professor Malfoy, teach me how to make this glorious dinner."

Never once had I thought of Hermione Granger as a minx, but _bloody hell _for some reason a kink I didn't even know I had seemed to pop up at hearing her call me _Professor._

I cleared my throat, and by some fucking miracle, managed to lead her through all the steps correctly, not an inappropriate word spoken -

_But fuck had I wanted to. _

Once the pie was in the oven she glanced at me, a laugh immediately bubbling from her mouth.

"What?"

"You've got a little flour..." she motioned to her nose, still smiling.

I lifted my hand to wipe it, but her laughter only increased. Glancing at my hand I realized it was _also _covered in flour.

Smooth.

"Here," she said, laughter still in her voice as she picked up the hand towel, "I'll get it."

She swiped my nose with the cloth, her body _so bloody close _as she tilted my face down so she could reach better.

"That wasn't as difficult as I would've expected." she said, stepping back and setting the towel back on the counter. "I imagine I'll be able to make this without catching anything on fire."

_How was she so unaffected? _

_What in Salazar's name was this weird **thing **that was happening?_

"Malfoy?"

I shook my head, clearing my throat before I said, "Sorry, yeah, it's an easy recipe."

She raised an eyebrow at me, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms, "Don't tell me _you're _spacing out now, too."

I chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through my hair, "No, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

_Wanting to bend you over the kitchen island and fuck your brains -_

* * *

**HPOV**

The atmosphere was noticeably _tense. _

I had no idea if he felt it, but to me it seemed palpable.

"Wanting to -" he immediately cut himself off, seemingly surprised that he'd said anything.

I knew the feeling.

"Wanting to what?" I asked, eyeing him cautiously. He was so difficult to read, so I couldn't be sure he felt what I did.

He shook his head, a slight frown on his face as he begun washing the dishes we'd dirtied.

_Right, just me then_.

I left the kitchen, wandering out into the backyard. I needed to be reading through all those books, but I couldn't keep my mind from _literally _undressing Malfoy. It was extremely counterproductive.

And odd. I'd never been so..._consumed _by a person, let alone a _man_ \- and one that I hardly knew.

_Merlin, what if this was some weird form of psychosis or something? I really was loosing my -_

Suddenly Malfoy's lips were on mine, his hands tangled in my hair, and I felt _relieved_.

As if on instinct, my hands moved to his waist, tightly gripping the soft material of his impeccably tailored shirt.

I had no idea why, but it felt _right_.

His lips were soft and demanding, his hands keeping me exactly where he wanted me - though it wasn't like I planned on going anywhere.

"What the fuck is happening?" he groaned, trailing kisses down my neck.

"I have no idea. Maybe we should sto - _oh_!"

He bit down on my shoulder before he growled, "No way in hell."

My stomach clenched at his words, and I couldn't stop myself from pulling his lips back to mine.

He slid his hands under my shirt, his cool fingers grazing my sides as he pulled my shirt up.

A moment later it was up and over my head, discarded somewhere behind us.

"Don't you think this is kind of weird and -"

"Yes, and I don't care."

_Did I care__?_

His hands cupped my bare breasts, and all thought of stopping this left my mind.

* * *

**DPOV**

I had no idea what was happening, and I honestly couldn't give a damn at the moment.

Touching her just felt _right_.

And her _moans_.

Bloody hell.

It was a good thing this place was in the middle of nowhere, otherwise standing outside under the slowly setting sun with a topless woman would've been rather difficult to explain to the neighbors.

"We should go in." she murmured, her nails digging into my hips as she pushed me back inside.

No sooner were we in, I pressed her back against the wall, dropping my head to kiss and lick her breasts.

Her body was soft, and warm, and _fuck _everything about her was erotic at this point.

I felt her hands at my buttons, fumbling through each one before she was shoving it from my shoulders and raking her nails up my back.

I moved my hands to her thighs, quickly lifting her and pressing her into the wall, my hard cock pressing against her warm cunt through _far too many layers. _

"_Malfoy_," she groaned, her hands in my hair as she arched further into my touch.

I couldn't resist rocking into her, enjoying the breathless moans she made at the contact before swallowing all of them with a kiss.

_Salazar she was beautiful_.

Had she always been beautiful?

Fuck, she _had, _hadn't she?

* * *

**Do you guys have a preference for POV? Somehow it seems I'm always drawn to DPOV, but if you guys prefer I make it a _bit _more even then it is in this chapter, let me know! **

**Leave a review, they make my day :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter's shorter, but I updated it way faster than the last one...trade off? lol I'm still figuring it out. **

**Enjoy. **

* * *

**DPOV**

How we ended up in a bed was a mystery to me, though one of us had to have apparated there, because someone's wand was rolling across the hardwood floor out of sight.

"Please," she moaned, pushing my pants from my hips.

I pushed her hands away, ridding myself of my pants and hers before settling over her again. I pressed open mouthed kisses to her neck and shoulders, one of my hands toying with her pert breasts, the other finding its way into her panties to find her _soaked. _

_Fucking hell. _

"You're so wet, Granger."

She mewled, her hands in my hair tightening as my fingers sought out her clit.

"Just shut up and fuck me, you git." she gasped, no real heat behind her words.

I smirked, sliding first one, then a second finger into her tight cunt.

"Oh gods," she moaned, her back arching as she fumbled to push my boxers down.

I ignored her attempts, instead kissing my way down her body to settle between her thighs - and _fuck _was there any place better?

That was yet to be determined as I flicked my tongue over her clit, my fingers continuing to stroke that perfect spot that had her arching from the bed and breathlessly moaning my name.

"I'm going to come." she gasped, her thighs beginning to shake as I felt her tensing around my fingers.

Instead of slowing down I pulled my fingers away, eating her in earnest as she shattered above me.

I kissed my way back up her shuddering body, smirking when I reached her mouth to find her gasping for breath, a beautiful flush to her face.

She pulled me down into a kiss, her tongue seeking mine out as if _to fucking taste herself. _

Salazar, I'd never wanted a witch more in my bloody life.

She attempted to flip our position, and I knew what she had in mind, and I was _more _than happy to indulge her - _later_.

"Next time." I murmured, capturing her lips in another kiss as I slipped between her thighs, wandlessly vanishing my boxers.

"But you - _oh, gods, Malfoy_ -"

"Fuck," I grunted, biting her neck as I pushed completely inside her wet cunt. "You feel fucking fantastic, Granger."

She bit her lip, her nails digging into my arms as I began a slow rhythm that had her gasping.

"How do you want it, Granger?" I asked, dropping onto my forearms to tease her breasts with my mouth, all the while maintaining the same slow pace.

She groaned, shaking her head, eyes pinched closed - and fuck, I couldn't stop myself from kissing her, nipping that full bottom lip -

_Bloody hell. _

"I - _fuck _\- I'm -" she bit her lip, her legs around my waist beginning to shake as she raked her nails down my back, pulling me closer.

"Give it to me, love." I groaned, my fingers surely digging into her hips hard enough to bruise - though that thought alone was erotic enough.

_And then she fucking came_.

It took all the self control I had to keep myself from coming right along with her. Her cunt was _deliciously _tight and wet and her gasping moans by my ear were -

_Fucking hell, how was Granger the greatest shag of my life?_

"Oh my gods, Malfoy." she laughed breathlessly, "I guess all the gossip was true."

I raised an eyebrow, shifting so her left calf rested on my shoulder, one hand on her waist and the other on her thigh, "Gossip?"

She laughed, but with one harsh thrust forward it was quickly turned into a moan.

"You had quite the reputation; don't act like you didn't know."

I smirked, she was right. My reputation preceded me, and I was _immensely _pleased that she agreed.

"I'm just getting started."

Without waiting for a response I picked up my pace, using the hand at her waist to keep her from sliding up the bed.

I looked down to where I fucked into her, and _had anything ever been sexier?_

I couldn't think of anything.

"You're bloody gorgeous." I murmured, watching as her eyes widened slightly and she bit her lip, her walls already fluttering around me.

I chuckled, the sound a deep rumble as I leaned forward, keeping her leg over my shoulder, until my lips were at her ear, "Do you like compliments in bed, love?"

She moaned, her nails digging into my back as she choked back a gasp.

"Or do you just like it when I speak?" I wondered, pressing light, teasing kisses along her neck and jaw.

"Yes," she gasped, her legs beginning to shake again, "I love your voice."

_How was she this perfect?_

* * *

**HPOV**

No one, _no one_, had ever made me feel the way Malfoy did. Gods, and he was _so good. _

And here I was, about to come _again_, and he bloody well knew it.

As I expected, three thrusts later I was coming undone around him, clawing onto his shoulders for dear life. It just felt _so fucking fantastic. _

Before I could register what was happening, he had flipped our positions, holding my hips still above his as he began pounding into me in earnest.

"Oh fuck!" I gasped, biting into the corded muscles of his shoulder while his strong hands held me exactly where he wanted me.

"I'm so fucking close, Granger." he rasped, his gravelly voice directly at my ear. "Can you come again?"

I shook my head, my eyes pinched closed against his neck as the coil in my stomach wound tighter and tighter.

"Not an option." he murmured, sliding me up so he could tease my breasts with his mouth, one hand moving from my hips to my clit.

I couldn't _breathe_. Everything was so intense and _overwhelming _and I'd _never _come this many times in my _life_.

I could feel my legs beginning to shake, and his gravelly chuckle almost threw me right over the edge.

"That's right, come for me. Come on my cock, Granger."

His downright _filthy _words had me hurtling headfirst into an orgasm, my entire body shuddering.

"_Fuck, Draco,_" I managed to gasp, and seconds later he was shaking against me, arms wound tightly around me as he came.

My body was utterly boneless as I lie on top of him gasping for breath after _the best sex of my life_.

Malfoy's fingers traced nonsense patterns on my back, the motion soothing, and soon enough my heartbeat had returned to normal, as, it seemed, had his.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"I...I have no idea. I don't think my brain's quite working yet." I admitted with a laugh, sitting up so I could move off him, but his hands shot to my waist, keeping me seated on his lap.

His silver-blue eyes were stormy and dark, lust-glazed in a way I never would've imagined directed at me.

_But they were_.

He trailed his eyes down my body, unabashed in his slow perusal.

I looked down to where my hands rested on his lower abdomen, when I noticed something on my ring finger.

"Oh my god."

Malfoy took my hand, his eyes widening as he saw my name, scrawled in his elegant black script across the ring finger of my left hand. He immediately looked to his own finger, and I didn't need to see it to know that his name would be there, but in _my _handwriting.

_Soulmates. _

"We...we're fucking sou -"

"Stop." I said, immediately pushing myself off him, and the bed entirely, grabbing his dress shirt from the floor and putting it on. "This isn't happening. This _cannot _be happening."

He narrowed his eyes, sitting up in bed though making no move to cover his nakedness, "You can't tell me you didn't feel that pull. You can't deny this."

I shook my head, taking a few steps back from the bed as I ran a hand through my hair.

_This was so bad. _

"What's so horrible about being my soulmate, Granger?" he snapped, arms crossed as he glared at me.

The idiot. How could he think there was anything wrong with _him_?

"Have you not been listening to me?" I asked, turning away from him to stare up at the ceiling. This was entirely too much. "I could _die_, Malfoy. And now that we...that we're soulmates, it could very well kill you too. None of this would've happened had you not -"

"Don't you fucking dare." he growled, up from the bed in a flash and pushing me not-so-gently into the wall. "You don't get to regret finding me."

I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the urge to wrap my arms around him.

I'd read about what it was like for soulmates, particularly _fresh _soulmates, but these feelings were so much stronger than any book could ever describe.

"This is the worst possible time -"

He slammed his lips against mine, one hand resting over my throat, _just _tight enough to keep me against the wall, the other digging into my hip as he slid his tongue along mine.

"I don't give a damn."

* * *

**DPOV**

Convincing Granger of anything was ridiculously difficult, though after a bit of..._persuasion, _I'd gotten her to relax.

Honestly, I was just as stunned, if not more so, than her. The Universe certainly had a dark sense of humor.

_And that was putting it lightly_.

"I've spent _hours _going through these books, and I haven't been able to find anything." she groaned, slamming the book she'd been reading shut.

"Maybe we need to look at this from a different angle."

"Like what?" she asked, absentmindedly running her thumb over the signature on her ring finger.

It was a habit I found myself doing as well, and it'd only been a bloody _day_.

"What if it's nothing to do with you being muggle-born?" I offered, setting my own book down on the coffee table to focus on her. "What if it's because you're magic is just powerful?"

She rolled her eyes, "Seems they should've picked Harry, then."

"You think Potter's magic is honestly stronger than yours? Just because he has some prophecy on his side doesn't make him the most powerful, Granger."

Her eyes were slightly wide as she replied, "You're barmy."

The words held no real conviction, so I simply shrugged, "We obviously need to try something different."

She was silent for a while, staring at the book I'd placed on the coffee table, before she began speaking again.

"Rodolphus was there most often."

It took me a moment to realize that she was finally telling me who'd captured her - _tortured her_.

"Lestrange?"

She nodded, eyes still trained on the book as she said, "He thought it was only fair with what happened to Bellatrix."

"That was the Weasley's." I said through clenched teeth, an almost uncontrollable amount of rage bubbling toward the surface at the thought of Rodolphus laying even a fucking _finger _on her.

She simply shrugged, "Didn't seem to matter."

"Who else, Granger?"

Her thumb continued tracing the signature on her finger as she continued to avoid looking at me.

"Rabastan and a woman I didn't know."

"I'll fucking kill them."

At that she did look at me, her eyes betraying an emotion I couldn't quite place as she said, "Draco Malfoy, you _will not _risk your life for me."

"Or what?"

She narrowed her eyes at me and stood, coming to stand in front of where I was sitting to glare down at me, "You made an oath to help me, not -"

"_And _protect you." I interrupted, standing as well.

She shook her head, taking a step back to put some distance between us.

"I'm telling you this so you know what we're up against, _not _so you storm off looking for blood. _They will kill you_."

"Not without a fight." I shot back with a smirk.

"You're infuriating." she said with a sigh, turning to sit on the couch I'd previously been on.

I sat down next to her, tentatively taking her left hand in mine. When she didn't immediately pull away I relaxed, releasing a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"I'm not very good with words, Granger; at least not the important ones." I said, forcing myself not to look away. I _needed _her to get this through that thick skull of hers. "And this...this _feeling_ is entirely foreign to me, but it doesn't change the fact that I would do anything for you. I _will _do anything for you."

Suddenly I realized that her eyes were a bit glassy - fuck, she wasn't going to cry was she?

"You...you can't just..." she shook her head, taking a deep breath before she tried again, "You're just okay with accepting all these overwhelming emotions? We don't even know each other and -"

"How do you feel about me?"

Her cheeks immediately tinted a deep pink before she said, "Like you feel about me."

"Then it seems like there's time for everything else."

She sighed, leaning into my side to rest her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a few minutes before her laughter cut through the silence.

"What in Salazar's name are you laughing at?"

"Ron's going to flip." she gasped out through her laughter, and for some reason it was contagious. The thought of Weasley finding out that she was mine was _golden_. I could only hope to be there when she told him.

"I certainly hope so."

* * *

**The idea to have their names signed in the others handwriting was an idea I stole from sarenia here on FF. It's in her story Inked (which if you haven't read, I HIGHLY suggest) and I loved it so much that I wanted to play with it a bit in this story. I take no credit for its genius. **

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story so far. Sorry for the long wait; I've started working as a ghost writer alongside my normal office job, so time has been a little short lately. **

**Read and review :)**

* * *

**DPOV**

I woke up to the sound of a sharp scream.

_Granger's _sharp scream.

I shot out of bed and sprinted into the kitchen where I found her, mouth open as she clutched a letter in her hand.

"Granger?"

She shook her head, the parchment slipping from her fingers, but she said nothing.

I took a few steps toward her, but she took a sharp step back.

"They knew. They knew that you were my soulmate. It's why they _let me _go."

I grabbed the letter from the ground and began to read:

_Our Dearest Hermione, _

_We're so glad that you found Draco. We're all a bit surprised that it took so long, especially since you were living with him. _

_No matter, now that you and my nephew are bound, we can play again. Wouldn't you like that my dear Hermione? We had so much fun together. Your skin flushes beautifully when you're in pain, and I've missed it dearly._

_We eagerly await your return to us. _

_The Lestranges_

My blood was boiling.

"I'm going to fucking kill them." I snarled, incinerating the parchment in my hand.

"This is all my fault." she whispered, her eyes glassy as she backed into the wall and slid down it. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

She kept repeating it, her eyes unfocused and _fuck _if it didn't make my heart twist painfully in my chest.

I crossed the distance between us and knelt down in front of her, tilting her face so she was looking at me, "_None of this_ is your fault. Do you hear me?"

She shook her head, a few tears spilling over her cheeks as she choked out, "If I wouldn't have let you come we wouldn't have...we wouldn't be..."

She broke off, her shoulders shaking with the effort of holding in her sobs and I felt like I was being torn apart. I'd never felt like this about anyone, and I'd be damned if _anyone _took her away from me.

"I would've followed you anyway." I said, and it was the truth, "I'm here by choice. I'm with _you _by choice."

"They're going to kill both of us." she sobbed, her tears falling freely now, "The things they did to me -" she broke off, her sobs overwhelming her.

I pulled her into my arms, one hand on her back, the other in her hair holding her to me.

"I _will not _let them hurt you. You're the smartest witch I know; we will figure this out."

She didn't say anything else, but her tears had stopped, reduced to small hiccups every now and again before she leaned back to look at me. Her eyes were flooded with so many emotions as she brought her hand up to my face, her fingertips lightly tracing my cheek before she pulled away entirely.

"We need to go. They obviously know where we are." she said, standing up.

"Why would they send a letter instead of just coming here?" I asked, following her lead to cast a spell to collect all the things we'd brought here.

"It's all a game to them. They enjoy the build up almost as much as the actual torture." she said, her voice flat. "I found stronger warding spells in one of those books...hopefully that'll help. At least for a while."

"Come on," I said, offering her my hand, "Let's go."

She nodded, taking my hand, her other resting on my chest as I apparated us away from the cottage.

* * *

**HPOV**

I should've known they'd find me.

I couldn't get rid of the pit in my stomach ever since I'd gotten that letter from Rodolphus. The fact that I'd put Malfoy in danger made me sick. I never should've involved him. I should've kept my mouth shut and none of this would be happening.

If anything happened to him...

Merlin, I couldn't stomach it.

But I needed to get a grip. The only way we weren't both going to end up dead was by stopping them, and to do that we needed to know what their plans were.

Knowing that it had something to do with the magic of our soul bond did narrow it down, though, which was at least a start.

When we'd gotten to the studio in Prague I'd warded the room with a spell from one of the books I'd read. I'd felt absolutely drained afterward and ended up passing out - which scared the shite out of Malfoy.

But that was the thing about dark magic, there was always a price. We were lucky that one was a small one.

Now, though, I was at least satisfied that the Lestrange brothers wouldn't be able to find us. At least not for a while.

I looked over at Malfoy, his nose buried in a book as his quill scribbled out notes a mile a minute.

It was hard to look at him and not get caught up. He really was beautiful.

His white-blonde hair hung over his forehead covering his sharp, silver eyes, though I could imagine the crease between his brows as he was concentrating. It was something he'd done since Hogwarts.

Merlin, that seemed like a lifetime ago now.

"If we assume that your muggle blood has something to do with the spell, that leaves us with three options." he said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Fuck," he muttered, shutting the book, "I need a bloody drink."

I watched as he rose from his spot on the small couch and moved into the kitchen. Though it was a ridiculous thought to be having now, I envied his grace. The way he moved was so fluid, each movement slipping into the next with a practiced agility that I could never even hope to have.

It brought me back to the one time I'd seen him fight, during the war. He'd moved with speed, yet each graceful twist of his body had moved into the next seamlessly. It was ethereal in a way.

He came over to the bed, sitting on the edge as he handed me a glass as well.

"The Malfoy vintage, I assume?" I asked, a small smile on my face.

He smirked, "I told you it'd come in handy."

He certainly wasn't wrong. All of this was incredibly overwhelming.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, but I couldn't stop the nagging thought at the back of my mind. I'd had it ever since we'd gotten that letter a week ago back at the cottage.

"What if this isn't just about my blood, but yours, too?"

* * *

**DPOV**

"You're a Malfoy. That lineage is old and powerful, right?"

I nodded slowly, "Well yeah, but -"

"What if this has something to do with your family's blood purity...all that powerful ancestral magic mixing with my muggle magic?" she said, her toffee colored eyes holding mine as she continued, "Dark magic always has a price, so what if this is the price? Having to use muggle magic to get what they want...having to sacrifice one of their own?"

I had to admit, it didn't sound that far fetched...but why? And how would they have known Granger was my soulmate?

"We need to get books about my family." I said, unconsciously sliding my hand over hers, stroking the signature on her finger, "Maybe there's something in them that could explain some of this."

She bit her lip, her eyes falling to our hands as she said, "They've got to be watching the Malfoy Library...it's way too dangerous."

"Good thing that's not where we keep them." I said with a smirk, using my free hand to tilt her face up to look at me, "I swore to protect you, Granger, and I can't very well do that if I'm dead."

"I just...I can't lose you, Malfoy." she said softly, her free hand resting lightly on my cheek, "I _need _you to survive this."

"I will. We both will."

She nodded, and though I knew she wasn't completely convinced, I let her change the subject.

"So where _do _you keep those books?"

I couldn't keep the smirk off my face as I said, "One of the many vaults we have at Gringots."

Her eyes widened slightly with surprise, "Really?...That might actually be doable."

"We're going to have to Obliviate their memories of us, in case anyone comes looking."

"Or if someone already has." she added. "I'll wear a glamour."

I nodded, it was probably a good idea. Everyone had heard about Granger's disappearance, so her just showing up to Gringots with me certainly would've drawn attention.

Hopefully I'd be able to talk my way around the fact that _I _was also MIA.

* * *

**HPOV**

How Malfoy managed to get us in and out of Gringots without alerting, well, _everyone, _was quite impressive.

He'd managed to sweet talk his way into getting the key to the vault without the workers spilling his cover - saying that he was looking for me, but no one could know because it was top secret.

Funny how easily persuaded some people were.

So now we were back in Prague, a mountain of books higher than I stood tall piled near the bed.

"I can't believe that worked." I said, unable to keep the smile out of my voice as I flopped backwards onto the bed.

I heard Malfoy shrug out of his jacket before crawling over me, that devilishly handsome smirk on his face.

"Were you doubting my finesse, Granger?" he murmured, his lips lightly grazing mine as he spoke.

"I would never." I said with a breathless chuckle. Malfoy never ceased to make my heart pound in my chest when he was close - especially _this _close.

He nuzzled his face against my neck, pressing soft kisses there before murmuring, "You're beautiful, Granger."

"You think I'm beautiful?" I asked, unable to stop myself from voicing my surprise.

He leaned up onto his forearms so he could look down at me, a strange look in his eyes as he said, "For the brightest witch, you've not got much common sense."

I huffed, slightly annoyed, and tried to push him off, but he simply chuckled.

"I think you're stunning, Granger. You should know that by now."

I rolled my eyes, but stopped trying to shove him off me, "This isn't exactly a normal relationship."

"Doesn't make my feelings any less real." he countered, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before pulling back to look at me again.

"What are your feelings?" I asked softly. It's not that we hadn't kinda-sorta discussed it, but in truth, we really hadn't. It wasn't like there were any clear cut answers in our situation, but I couldn't stop myself from asking.

Because for me, being around him was calming. It was as though I could have a million thoughts running through my head, and as soon as he put his hand over mine, they seemed to still. He was the eye of the storm. He made me feel stronger. He was like this missing piece of a puzzle that I hadn't realized was missing until I'd found him - and now I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Which was so utterly ridiculous and strange and I knew that soul bonds were a special sort of magic - _old _magic - that really did mean a lot, but it didn't seem to make it any less strange that I was feeling all these things for a man who I didn't even really _know _that well.

Although it certainly seemed like my magic knew him _very _well.

He trailed his fingers over my cheek, a small smile on his face as he studied me.

"I'm sure I could show you better than I could tell you right now."

* * *

**DPOV**

I knew what she was asking me, and honestly I had a pretty good idea of how I felt about the brilliant witch under me, but now wasn't the time to voice any of those thoughts. It was far too early, and the situation we were in far too complicated to even begin to discuss and dissect these feelings.

But I wanted her, and I certainly wanted her to know that I found her stunning and brilliant, even if she was the most infuriating witch I'd ever met in my life.

It seemed that was part of her charm.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, tugging me down into a kiss. It was like every time we touched my magic was reaching out to hers, intertwining together, melding, _entangling._

And _fuck _I'd never felt anything like it before in my life.

Rodolphus and Rabastan be damned. There was no way I was letting _anyone _take her away from me.

I used the hand not supporting my weight above her to slip beneath her shirt and roam up and down her side, lightly teasing the delicate skin.

She sighed against me, one of her hands sliding into my hair as she pulled me more firmly against her lips.

Without warning, she flipped our positions, a fiery smirk on her face as she tossed her shirt to the ground.

And though I loved dominating the little minx, the sight of her topless, _not even a bra on_, certainly gave me pause. She looked bloody fantastic.

I slid my hands up her stomach, cupping her breasts and giving them a firm squeeze before sliding them back down to her hips.

She wasted no time unbuttoning my shirt and pushing it from my shoulders, her lips pressing open-mouthed kisses to my neck and chest.

Before she could get too carried away - or before _I _let her get too carried away - I flipped our positions again, pinning her to the bed with my weight.

"My turn, Granger." I murmured, kissing and biting my way down her neck to her breasts.

I lightly flicked my tongue over the rosy buds, her soft moans spurring me on to suck and nip in earnest.

"Malfoy," she murmured softly, her hands tangling themselves into my hair as she slowly rocked her hips up against mine. "Please."

"Please, what, love?"

When she said nothing I took the opportunity to slide a hand under her skirt, teasing the soaked material of her panties.

"I don't think I heard you, Granger." I murmured, my mouth still toying with her breasts.

"Please fuck me." she gasped, her hips arching up as I slipped my fingers into her panties.

"Fuck you? But I'm just getting started."

With that I left her breasts, kissing a slow trail down her stomach. I paused to nip at her hips before tugging both her skirt and panties off, tossing them somewhere behind me.

* * *

**HPOV**

Malfoy was placing soft kisses to my inner thighs, biting every so often, and _gods _I just wanted him to touch me already. This was torture, and he knew it.

Enjoyed it, even, if his smirk was of any indication.

"I love seeing you like this." he murmured, his tongue finally sliding over my wet folds.

I couldn't help bucking my hips up toward his mouth. He was driving me absolutely insane with his teasing touches.

"Please don't stop." I begged, one of my hands tangling themselves into his hair as he began to lick me in earnest, his lips closing around my clit and flicking repeatedly.

He simply chuckled in response, never ceasing his ministrations as he pushed my thighs down onto the mattress when I tried to close them.

It was all so much - _too much _\- but he simply continued, going so far as to slip two of his long, skilled fingers into my tight heat.

"I'm going to come, Malfoy." I gasped, my thighs beginning to shake.

"Do it." he encouraged, "Come all over my fingers, love."

And I did. His dirty words all but shoving me off the edge.

"You're fucking exquisite." he growled, crawling back up my body to crash his lips against mine.

My stomach clenched at his words, and in that moment all I wanted was him inside me, _immediately_.

It seemed he felt similarly, because before I knew it, he was stretching me, filling me so perfectly.

"_Fuck_, you feel amazing." he groaned, his face buried in my neck as he began a torturously slow place that did nothing to quell the fire burning in the pit of my stomach.

The feeling of having our magic dancing together, _merging _together, was stronger than any aphrodisiac or love potion in existence. Of that I was positively certain. Nothing had ever felt more right in my life.

As he began to pick up his pace I couldn't help but dig my nails into his back, leaving little crescent moons on his skin.

"Are you close, love?" he asked, pushing himself up a bit so he could look down at me.

I could only nod, the tension in my stomach so painfully close to snapping.

He captured my lips in another kiss while slipping his free hand between us to press against my clit -

And I was lost. Hurtling over the edge yet again, except this time he was falling with me.

Gods, this would never get old.


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING: Violence depicted in first section. It's not very long, but if it's not your cup of tea, skip the italicized part. **

**I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**DPOV **

_Granger was screaming - and although my eyes scanned the dark room I couldn't seem to pinpoint where she was. Her voice was echoing off the damp stone surrounding us and I found that I couldn't move. _

_I felt my panic rising as I struggled against invisible bonds, Granger's blood curdling screams only getting louder. _

_And then suddenly there was light, and **fuck **how I wished that we were still plunged in darkness. _

_Rodolphus was sitting on Granger's chest while her arms and legs were tied with what looked like an **incarcerous**. Rodolphus was digging the tip of his wand across her skin, and wherever he touched her a streak of red bloomed and she screamed._

_Though most of her was covered in blood. Her hair was matted, face bruised, arms and legs littered with scars both old and fresh. _

_"Fucking stop it!" I shouted, but they both acted as though I hadn't spoken. And I still couldn't move. I was simply forced to **watch **her torture. _

_Rodolphus abruptly stopped, tossing his wand to the side and yanking her up by her hair. He wasted no time slamming her body against the wall, the sickening crunch of bones breaking echoing throughout the chamber. _

_After slamming her against the wall twice more, he let her go and her body crumpled to the ground, but Rodolphus still didn't seem satisfied. He drug her across the ground by her hair, back to where he'd started, and gave a sharp, swift kick to her side that I was sure had to have broken ribs. _

_She choked out a cough, blood droplets spattering her face as he kept her on her back. _

_"Such a pretty little mudblood." he growled, licking a line up her neck before harshly biting her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. _

_Granger screamed again, thrashed as she tried to get away from him, but she didn't stand a chance as weak as she currently was._

_He hit her across the face hard enough that it seemed she was unconscious for a moment. _

**_What the fuck was happening?_**

_"I'll fucking kill you, Rodolphus!" I screamed, thrashing against my invisible binds, but again it seemed neither of them heard me._

_"Oh look, your gift from my dear Bella is wearing off." he sneered, pulling her already scarred arm out and away from her body, his wand poised in his other hand. _

_"No, please!" she begged, her words almost obscured by her choking sobs and the blood bubbling past her lips, "Please don't!"_

_"Ah, mudblood, you beg me so nicely." he growled, digging his wand into her arm anyway, "But nothing pleases me more than seeing you bleed." _

_I couldn't look at this any more. I couldn't stand the sounds of her screams. I couldn't deal with not being able to **do **anything to help her. I just -_

* * *

**HPOV**

"I'm so sorry, Malfoy, but you wanted to know." I whispered softly, wiping the stray tear that had escaped down his cheek during the memory.

He was trying to control his breathing, his eyes frantically scanning the room - and me - before he yanked me forward into a crushing hug.

"I am so fucking sorry. _So fucking sorry_."

I hugged him back but said nothing. There really wasn't anything to say. He'd said he wanted to know what had happened, so I'd showed him. He'd opened his mind to me, and I'd showed him a memory.

He pulled back, tangling his hands into my hair so that our faces were inches apart as he said, "I will _never _let him do that to you again. _Ever_. I swear it on my life."

His eyes were glassy and the air was charged and I could _feel _the truth in his words, and it was all so overwhelming. "Don't say that, Malfoy. You shouldn't -"

"Hermione," he interrupted, voice fierce as his silver eyes bored into mine - and the shock of hearing him utter my given name was enough to keep me quiet - "You will never go through that again. I'll rip him to fucking shreds if he tries."

I said nothing, choosing instead to pull him forward into a kiss that I hoped showed how thankful I was for him. How much he meant to me. How badly, truly badly, I wanted the both of us to survive this.

"Swear that you'll survive." I managed to choke out, my voice thick with unshed tears, "Swear on your life that you'll make it out of this alive." I begged.

"We -"

"No, Draco, _you_. Promise me that _you _will survive this, because if you don't I won't be able to live with myself."

He closed his eyes, forehead resting against mine as his hands in my hair tightened, "I'm going to live and so are you. End of."

I nodded, slightly satisfied, before lightly pressing my lips to his again.

He was everything - _everything_ \- and I would die before I let the Lestrange brothers get their hands on him.

* * *

**DPOV**

Having seen just a _fraction _of what Granger had gone through at the hands of my deranged family made me _sick_. If I'd thought that what Bellatrix had done was vile, that was _nothing_ compared to what I'd seen Rodolphus do. And who knows what he and his brother did when they were together.

I wanted nothing more than to tear the Lestrange brothers' heads from their bodies.

And even that would be too good a death for them.

After Granger had shown me her memory I'd decided we were taking a few hours off from scouring the books - selfishly more for my sake than hers I was sure. I just couldn't get the image of her screaming out of my head and constantly found myself looking over at her as if to make sure she was still here. Still okay.

There was no way I'd have been able to focus on anything in front of me, let alone something as important as this. I just...needed some time.

"Do you want children?"

I raised a surprised eyebrow as I looked to my left where Granger sat burrowed against my side.

"Children?"

She chuckled and said, "Yes, Malfoy. Children. Would you want any?"

I suppose I hadn't really thought about it. My parents, before the war, had always talked about it, but after I'd told my father to shove the marriage contract up his arse they both seemed to let it go.

"I...probably...I think...well I think I'd want a daughter." I found myself saying, and though the few times I'd thought about it, I'd imagined having a boy, now with Granger I couldn't help but want a little girl who looked just like her.

"Really? I would've guessed you'd want a boy." she admitted, a small smile on her face.

I had no idea how I knew, but in that moment I _knew _that I was going to have children with this beautiful woman. I was going to marry her. Start a family - a _real _family. Like the one she'd had with her parents, not the shite one I'd had with mine. I would do anything and everything to ensure that this brilliant witch - _my _brilliant witch - was safe, protected, and loved.

_Fuck._

_ Loved. _

It was true though. I couldn't really pinpoint when or where it had happened, especially since we'd only been _together_ for a little under two weeks - but _fuck it all, _she was my soulmate, wasn't she? My literal other half. Of course I loved her.

_Fuck_ I loved her.

"Earth to Malfoy. You can't be spacing out too -"

"I love you."

Her eyes widened and her perfectly pouty lips parted on a quiet gasp.

_Fuck, _I shouldn't have said -

"I love you too." she said softly, and had I not been sitting right by her I probably wouldn't have caught it.

But I did.

"You love me?"

She nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face as she said it again, louder this time, "I do. I love you."

I pulled her forward into a bruising kiss, and the second our lips touched it was like a cord snapped into place, connecting us by our hearts and I could _feel _her. Not just her body but her _emotions_.

She gasped, her eyes wide as she pulled back to look at me, "Do you feel that?"

Her hand was on her chest, pinpointing exactly where I'd felt that weird sensation as well.

Nodding I said, "It's the final part of a soul bond. It only happens when both people accept each other."

Her eyes welled up with tears, but the smile on her face was breathtaking as she flung her arms around my neck and whispered, "Is this really how you feel about me? It's so...overwhelming."

I couldn't help the sharp chuckle that escaped me before I said, "Loving you is overwhelming."

At that she laughed - _really _laughed - like I hadn't heard her do since Hogwarts as she said, "Now _that _I can relate to."

I chuckled, scooping her up from the couch and carrying her over to the bed, dropping her onto it so I could strip off my shirt.

"And what do you think you're doing, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, a cheeky smirk on her face.

"I _think _I'm about to fuck the hell out of _my _witch."

* * *

**HPOV**

His eyes were _smoldering _as he spoke, completely focused on me.

Merlin, this didn't seem real. I _loved _Malfoy.

_I loved Malfoy_.

How this had happened I had no idea - and honestly didn't care. I knew what I was feeling, and no matter how unconventional it was, it was _right_. I felt it in my _bones_.

"What do you think she would say to that, Granger?" he asked, arching a challenging eyebrow my direction.

"I think she would say yes." I said softly, unable to really find my voice when he looked at me like that.

The smirk that spread across his face was almost predatory as he shrugged out of his pants, leaving him in only his black silk boxers. He pulled me to the edge of the bed, kissing me with every bit of pent up passion and love that he had before tugging my shirt off and tossing it behind him.

The feel of his cool fingertips across my skin set off an inferno in my stomach, and I knew that I'd be spending the rest of my life, however long that turned out to be, with him.

"Please," I whispered, a light moan escaping me as his lips and tongue teased my breasts.

"Please what, love?" he asked, his hands taking over for his mouth as he looked up at me.

"Take me. Love me."

The growl that rumbled through his chest was almost animalistic in its ferocity, and I couldn't help but clench my thighs at the sound.

His eyes were almost black as he pushed me back down onto the bed, tugging my pants and underwear off and leaving me completely naked beneath him.

"You're so bloody gorgeous." he murmured, his lips trailing a blazing path down my stomach.

Before I could say anything his head was buried between my thighs and his tongue was stroking my clit _so perfectly _that I almost forgot how to breathe. Instead of responding I simply tangled my hand into his hair, pulling on the soft locks to encourage him further.

Gods, I never wanted him to stop.

I could feel the coil in my stomach being wound tighter and tighter and I knew it was only a matter of time before I shattered.

And of course he knew it too.

He sped up his ministrations, alternating between slipping his tongue into my dripping core and flicking my clit, and before I knew it I was gasping his name as I came undone beneath him.

He slowly kissed his way back up my stomach, pausing to place teasing kisses to my breasts before capturing my lips in a kiss as his hips settled between my thighs.

Without a word he slid into me, the cord connecting us stronger and more prominent than I'd felt it before, and it was almost too much.

"_Fuck_," he groaned, his pace slow and deep, "I love you so fucking much."

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the guttural way he spoke the words, and I could do little more than cling tighter to his shoulders as he stretched me so perfectly.

"You are _mine_." he growled, one hand tangled in my hair, the other on my cheek so that he could look at me, "Say it, Hermione."

I didn't need to think twice.

"I'm yours."

He briefly closed his eyes, his thrusts harder while he maintained the same slow pace that was quickly building me up to another orgasm, before his molten silver eyes were holding mine once more.

"Say it again."

I tangled my hands into his hair, pulling him into a deep, lingering kiss before whispering against his lips, "I'm yours, Draco."

"And I'm yours." he said, immediately pulling me into another kiss as he shifted his position just enough to brush that _perfect _spot inside me over and over again.

I broke the kiss on a ragged gasp, "I'm going to come."

Malfoy simply began pressing open mouthed kisses and bites to my neck as he murmured, "That's right. Come for me, Hermione."

* * *

**DPOV**

And then she was.

Her back arching, eyes fluttering closed and _my fucking name _falling from her lips like a prayer as she came around me -

And I didn't stand a chance. Being able to feel her pleasure, her _love _for me, it was too much, and I followed her over the edge three thrusts later.

I rested above her, my head against her breasts as I listened to the thundering rhythm of her heart, and I'd be damned if I'd ever felt more content in my life. This brilliant, stubborn, feisty witch was _mine_. I had no idea what I'd done to deserve her, but I knew I'd be spending the rest of my life proving that I did.

"I love you." she said softly, her breath ghosting across the top of my head.

Forcing myself up onto my forearms I captured her lips in a slow kiss before murmuring the words back to her. The warmth that spread through my chest at hearing her say those words would surely never get old. How could it?

I had to have been the luckiest bastard on the planet.

I rolled off her, tugging her to lay across my chest as I pulled the blankets up around us.

"We should -"

"Just get some rest, Granger." I said softly, running a hand through her curls. It was something I'd found she rather enjoyed and always seemed to lull her to sleep rather quickly.

"Are you sure we -"

"I'm positive." I said with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as I tugged her more securely against myself.

Now that I had her, there was no way I was ever letting her go.

* * *

**Sorry for this shorter chapter, but I'm about to get the plot moving along, so I figured it'd be nice to have a little fluffy chapter before everything gets crazy. Leave a review and let me know what you thought! They really do make my day. **


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